Predicated on the assumption that objectivity requires distance—temporal, psychological and spatial.

As audacious as it may sound, a new book, Who Watches? Who Cares? can make you a better church member and, in the process, save the Church massive and unnecessary losses.

Readers are taken inside seven informative cases of corporate church administrative failure that resulted (between 1978 and 1999) in the catastrophic loss of institutions, members and scores of millions of dollars. Covered in 379 pages are the following incidents:

Nineteen graphs and tables, and a name index, augment the narrative along with over 1,100 endnotes.

Transparently positive concluding essays by Frank Knittel, W. Arden Clarke and Stewart Shankel suggest constructive solutions for the structural and procedural weaknesses that have made these and other similar misadventures possible.

The power of these unusually readable and heavily sourced stories to prevent future such misadventures depends entirely on how many involved church-loving members, pastors and administrators will internalize the lessons they teach.

The greatest need of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is for well informed members to give liberally not only of their tithes and offerings but of their very best judgment—as church board members, as constituency meeting delegates, as local and union conference committee members and as institutional trustees.

Listening Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth

While you're here, take a look at the author's two limited-edition art prints of Christ.

A mouse click on either picture takes you to a larger image and details about these stunning, 22" x 28" prints—including the fact that the artist subtly tints the eyes according to your preference: brown, green or blue.